Dave Muller

Biography

It’s fitting that Dave Muller, who has become known for his paintings of vinyl records, likes to use the word “sampling” to describe his process. Muller, who has also been an active DJ since the 1980s, is interested in the history of music, and the ways in which records can evoke personalities or moments in history. Among his best-known works are what he calls the “Top Ten” paintings—paintings of the spines of 10-album stacks based on an individual’s actual or imagined music preferences. His subjects have ranged from close friends to Barack Obama. He is also known for making wall-sized murals diagramming the genealogy of music that extend into the far future, and making a “zip” (his narrow paintings of a single record spine) every day for a year based on what he listened to.